Dinamo down but not out

All is not lost for FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti despite conceding a late goal in the away leg of their UEFA Cup Round of 32 tie to lose 1-0 against SL Benfica.

• The Romanian side looked to have weathered the storm in Lisbon after Benfica hit the post and the crossbar but failed to beat Bogdan Lobont in the Dinamo goal. However, the Portuguese side delivered a sucker punch as Fabrizio Miccoli converted Rui Costa’s cross in the 90th minute.

• The clubs have been drawn together once before, meeting in a two-legged UEFA Cup first-round tie in 1999/00. Dinamo won 1-0 in Lisbon, but failed to progress after losing 2-0 in the return fixture, which was played at the Cotroceni Stadium rather than their usual home.

• Benfica qualified for the Round of 32 as the third-placed side in UEFA Champions League Group F. Dinamo finished second in UEFA Cup Group B.

• Prior to the current season, and including their previous tie against Dinamo, Benfica have been drawn against Romanian opposition on three previous occasions as well as meeting FC Steaua Bucuresti in the 1994/95 UEFA Champions League group stage. They have now played nine games against Romanian sides, winning four, drawing four and losing one.

• Prior to the current season, and including their previous tie against Benfica, Dinamo have been drawn against Portuguese opponents in three previous ties - winning one and losing two. In total, their record in seven games against Portuguese teams now reads won two, drawn one and lost four.

• Dinamo coach Mircea Rednic played against Portuguese opposition in three competitive ties during his career. The Romanian international defender was on the losing side as Portugal triumphed 1-0 in the 1984 UEFA European Championship. His Dinamo side lost 4-0 on aggregate against FC Porto in the 1990/91 European Champion Clubs' Cup and his R. Standard de Liège team bowed out 3-1 on aggregate to Vitória SC in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup.

• The match could see two Angolan international team-mates come face to face as Benfica forward Mantorras meets up with Dinamo midfielder Zé Kalanga.

• The first-leg lineups were:
Dinamo: Lobont, Radu, Balace, Moti, Blay, Pulhac (Baltoi 65, Serban 82), Cristea, Margaritescu, Munteanu (Ropotan 79), Niculescu, Danciulescu.
Benfica: Quim, Nélson, Anderson, Luisão, Léo, Petit (Miccoli 46), Katsouranis, Karagounis, Rui Costa (João Costa 90), Nuno Gomes (Derlei 75), Simão.

• The aggregate winners will face AEK Athens FC or Paris Saint-Germain FC in the Round of 16, playing away on 8 March and the home leg a week later.